Despite injuries that prevented starting left tackleRonnie Stanley(left foot) and rookie center/guardBradley Bozeman(left calf) from also participating, Hurst and Lewis said the plight of the offensive line does not provide a greater incentive to return.

“I understand what you’re saying, but my personal incentive is that I want to be out there regardless,” said Hurst, who started the team’s first six games at right tackle before a back injury opened the door for rookieOrlando Brown Jr.to start in back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. “That’s the way I look at it. If I’m healthy enough to play, I’m going to play, regardless of the other situations. Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of offensive line stuff happen at the same time, and that’s not ideal. The way I look at it is, if I can play, I will play, and those other outside sources can’t influence that.”

The same goes for Nikki Hegstetter, a former University of Alabama basketball star who is 6 feet 2 and can literally see eye-to-eye with the 320-pound NFL lineman she will soon...

Lewis has not played his usual left guard spot since Oct. 14, when he sustained a pinched nerve in his neck in the fourth quarter of a 21-0 victory at the Tennessee Titans. Bozeman started for Lewis against New Orleans before suffering his calf ailment, and Hroniss Grasu started at Carolina.

Stanley was injured in the third quarter against the Panthers and was briefly replaced by Jermaine Eluemunor. The team had only eight healthy offensive linemen (three practice-squad members) Wednesday.

Lewis and Hurst said they are eager to play.

“I’m antsy right now,” Lewis said. “I don’t like not playing football, that’s for sure. So the sooner, the better.”

On Monday, coachJohn Harbaugh revealed that the illegal-shift penalty that negated a direct snap and 7-yard gain by defensive back Anthony Levine Sr. on a fake punt in the first quarter of Sunday’s 36-21 loss against the Panthers was called onMorgan Cox. On Wednesday, the long snapper declined to say specifically what he had done to draw the flag.

“I watched the film, and it’s hard to say,” he said. “I don’t think I would do a whole lot different, but [the official] saw what he saw, and that’s what I’m going to live by.”

Cox acknowledged the significance of the penalty, saying, “We would have loved to have converted it. Frustrated would be the word. But in that moment, it’s called, and I know I’ve got another play coming up. So I knew I couldn’t dwell on it a whole lot.”

Extra points

Quarterback Joe Flacco showed up to his weekly conference Wednesday without his usual beard that he had been sporting for several weeks, and he is hopeful that the change will also help the team end a two-game losing skid. “I’ve been thinking about cutting it about every night for two weeks,” he said. “It’s not like we’ve been winning with it. So we’ve all got a little bit of superstition in us, I guess.” … Although inside linebacker Albert McClellan was released Tuesday to make room for newly acquired running back/wide receiver Ty Montgomery, he might return to the team soon. “I’m hoping to get Albert back here in a day or two, to be honest with you,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see how that goes.”